Encourage, Don't Discourage
As I have shared many times before (very proudly), we have three wonderful grandchildren. They're bright, so full of life and a real joy to be around. They smile, play, laugh, run and enjoy life filled with a lot of self-confidence. Why? Because their parents love them and make a conscious effort to encourage them while at the same time helping them understand the difference between right and wrong decisions.
As parents, for the most part, I think all of us took the same approach to parenting. We made a consistent, conscious effort to encourage our kids. We praised them, congratulated them and tried to make them feel good about themselves and their accomplishments.
Unfortunately, as we grow older, I think a great many of us have a tendency to forget the importance of encouragement. We tend to be a little more critical and judgemental. It's not a bad idea for us to take inventory every so often and check to see if we are as encouraging and nurturing today to the people around us as we once were to our children when they were small.
Commit Yourself to Adding Value to Others
Nineteenth-century English preacher Charles Spurgeon advised,
"Carve your name on hearts and not on marble."
The best way to do this is to add value to others...to be an encourager...to look for the good in others. When possible, help others discover and develop their ability just like loving parents do for their children.
Author John Maxwell says, "Some people approach every interaction with others as a transaction. They're willing to add value, but only if they expect to receive value in return. If you want to make good relationships a priority, you must check your motives to be sure you are not trying to manipulate others for your own gain."
John Maxwell also wrote, "Every day I make the conscious effort to deposit goodwill into my relationships with others. That means I give more than I expect to receive, love others unconditionally, look for ways to add value to others, and bring joy to the relationships I hold dear.
If you want to improve your relationships through your everyday actions, then do the following:
Author John Maxwell says, "Some people approach every interaction with others as a transaction. They're willing to add value, but only if they expect to receive value in return. If you want to make good relationships a priority, you must check your motives to be sure you are not trying to manipulate others for your own gain."
John Maxwell also wrote, "Every day I make the conscious effort to deposit goodwill into my relationships with others. That means I give more than I expect to receive, love others unconditionally, look for ways to add value to others, and bring joy to the relationships I hold dear.
If you want to improve your relationships through your everyday actions, then do the following:
- Put others first
- Don't carry emotional baggage
- Give time to your most valuable relationships
- Serve others gladly
- Express love and appreciation often
- Be an encourager rather than a discourager
"The best way to help people is to see the best in them."
1 comment:
Well said!
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